S5 E9: “The Strike Song”; Maintaining Weight Loss; Exercise & Depression; Microplastics in Your Arteries

Welcome back to the Hot Topics podcast from NB Medical with Dr Neal Tucker. In this episode we think about another year of imposed GP contract on practices in England, the BMA response and where it may lead. In research, we have three fascinating new papers. Firstly, a paper examining how to maintain weight loss after a low-calorie diet – is structured exercise, liraglutide or both better than usual care? Secondly, in the BMJ a systematic review exploring whether exercise should be considered a genuine treatment for depression. And finally, in the NEJM, a study looking at the link between microplastics in carotid arterial plaques and subsequent risk of cardiac vascular events (hint: it’s not good news…).ReferencesBMA GP Contract Changes 2024/25Pulse EditorialLancet Discovery Science paper on weight loss maintenanceWeight maintenance author interviewBMJ Exercise and DepressionNEJM Micro/nanoplastics in your arteriesNEJM Microplastics editorialwww.nbmedical.com/podcast